The present invention relates to control devices for the manual playing of electronic musical instruments having a main key system and an additional control device for simultaneous playing actions with one hand of the player. The control functions and operations of these additional control devices render possible an accomplished and advanced playing in cooperation with the main keyboard. Such additional control devices will preferably be used on musical instruments which have been designed for live performance. Today, electronic musical instruments are able to produce almost every desired musical sound phenomena with regard to their advanced apparatus for sound generation and sound shaping. Advanced synthesizers, working with a digital generation and shaping of sound, may be mentioned as an example.
The musical sound phenomena which might be produced by those instruments depend crucially on the control devices which will be offered to the player for his playing and control actions. Control devices which can be considered as interfaces between the player and the apparatus for sound generation and sound shaping should be able to convert and transmit simultaneously a maximum number of distinct control data, thus enabling the player to be as free as possible in his musical aims and enable him to avoid instrumental restrictions which might limit his performing possibilities.
Whereas electronic musical instruments, which are designed for automatic sequencing and not for live performance, render possible nearly any desired complexity and accuracy of structural sound phenomena due to the fact that they can be programmed in a step by step mode, such instruments do not allow any authentical performance of sound parameters or sound phenomena which depend on spontaneous and genuine emotions of a performer.
But since an essential criterion of a superb musical performance is the genuineness of emotions, the control and playing elements of musical instruments for live performance must have a sublime and optimal architecture for a perfect playing technique which is not needed for instruments with automatic sequencing. The charm and the fascination of various historic musical instruments is primarily not given through the physical structure of their sounds, as for instance the structure of overtones, envelope curves etc., but rather through the subtle and refined action modes of their control features. Violins or wind instruments are an example. The high-tech facilities for sound generation and sound shaping are generally designed in a modular concept, the building blocks of distinct manufacturers being often compatible with each other. The so-called MIDI-standard, meaning musical instrument digital interface standard, improves the desired compatibility.
Therefore, devices for playing or controlling can be designed in solid separation from the sound generation and sound shaping equipment. Thus, actual examples of embodiment might be manufactured in one unit with the sound generation and shaping equipment, or, instead, as a control device without any sound equipment, but prepared for interconnection with commercial sound equipment and interfaces. This embodiment has the advantage that future sound equipment and the sound equipment of distinct manufacturers can be controlled by one and the same control device, provided that compatibility is furnished by a standardized interface, such as MIDI, for instance.
Known electronic keyboard instruments for live performance have a key system which generally consists of upper black keys and lower white keys, a key system which is identical or nearly identical with that of historical organs or pianos. For the most part the selection of tone degree, the attack of sound, the dynamic and the damping of sound will be controlled with such a key system. For the control of further, supplementary sound parameters further control devices for one-hand playing have been added; so-called modulation wheels, joysticks, ribbon manuals; or pedals or levers to be operated by a player's foot or knee; or so-called breath-controllers being played with the player's mouth. These known additional control devices have various disadvantages. Modulation wheels render possible the control of a single sound parameter, the bending of the pitch, for instance.
Joysticks often showing a movability in all three spatial dimensions and with that allowing simultaneous control of three sound parameters, provide, as a result of their three-dimensional movability, a very difficult playing technique when a simultaneous control of all three sound parameters is required.
Pedals or levers for foot or knee generally serve to control the volume and/or timbre. These modes of control are very unwieldy and have therefore only little suitability for subtle control actions. The advantage that both hands of the player may be saved for playing actions on the main keys is neutralized through the disadvantage that the foot of the player cannot be used for other important purposes, such as the control of organ-like tone pedals, for instance.
Breath-controllers, applied to the musical instruments "Variophon" and "Lyricon", for instance, present generally a combined control of several sound parameters which are dependent upon each other, similar to those of acoustic wind instruments. The continuous control of volume, pitch and timbre can only be done in a composite mode. If such breath-controllers will be mounted on the table of a keyboard instrument and further will be oriented to the player's face, both hands of the player will be available for any desired action, but the posture of the player will be extremely fixed, this being very disadvantageous. If breath-controllers are used, singing at the same time is impossible, of course. The hygienic problems of breath-controllers are not to be neglected.
Another attempt to place a maximum number of simultaneously functioning control elements at a player's disposal has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,960. A serious disadvantage of the playing devices described therein is that the main keys, which control the tone degree, the attack of sound, the dynamic of sound and the damping of sound, have been miniaturized too much in order to be able to place them on a frame unit which can be moved in X-direction on the playing board. Such miniaturizing provides a very difficult playing technique, with regard to a reliable fingering of sequences of tones for chords. Furthermore, the frame unit with all its elements provides too much inertia, thus rendering difficult a suitable playing technique for the control of a continuous pitch variation, which depends on a free movability of the frame unit. Another important disadvantage is that the playing actions on the main keys will disturb other playing actions done with the same hand of the player.
It is an object of the invention to eliminate the above mentioned disadvantages and to design a manual control equipment which consists of a main key system and an accompanying additional control device and renders possible a maximum number of simultaneous and autonomous controls of sound parameters and/or playing aids, thus providing a playing technique with simple, reliable and clearly arranged playing actions for real time or live performance.
This object is achieved in that a main key system is arranged on a playing or control table and, at a short distance from the main key system but separated from it in its mechanical functions, a control handle is placed on the playing board. This control handle is movable in one or more planes or directions and is designed to be contacted and guided by one hand of the player. If the player moves and/or stresses it, mechanical-electric converters which are operatively connected with the control handle, will produce or will control electric signals in a continuous or gradual mode. Furthermore, several special keys and one or more turning or sliding knobs are placed on the playing board within the action range of the fingers of the player's hand which contacts the control handle. The special keys and turning or sliding knobs render it possible to control additional electric signals and/or playing functions. According to the invention, it is assumed that the main key system which has to cooperate with the additional control device, might be designed in the same way as the common piano key system with its upper and lower keys, or, instead of that, it might also be designed as a key system of the type described in German Pat. application No. 34 34 160.9, both key systems being arranged for the control of tone degree, attack of sound, dynamic of attack and damping of sound. Since the additional control device of the invention has to render possible the control of all additional requested sound parameters and other playing functions, such as playing aids, it will be necessary that one hand of the player be entirely devoted to that additional control device. It is preferred that the left hand is used to manipulate the additional control device, whereas the right hand plays the main key system.
It follows from this that, if the additional control is used, a two-handed playing mode on the main keys will be lost, this being a considerable limitation of the practical performances in the polyphonic domain. Therefore, the additional control device of the present invention has been designed in such a manner that both legs and feet of the player can be used for an unrestricted control of a foot-controlled musical instrument, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,050 which means that these leg and foot operated members do not control entirely or partly sound parameters and/or playing functions of the manual range. The foot-controlled musical instruments, but likewise tone pedals with the common architecture, render possible practical performances together with the mentioned main key systems which are almost equal to that of a two-handed performance in the field of polyphonics. It is obvious that keyboard instruments, featuring the additional control device of the invention, will allow a two-handed playing mode as soon as it is required. But musical performances which require a subtle shaping of sound parameters, for instance, have to be played together with the additional control device. The placement of the additional control device on the playing board will be arranged in such a way that a two-handed playing on the main keys will be possible without any restriction.
To simplify the description of the geometrical or spatial relations, the X, Y, Z coordinate system will be used. The X-axis is horizontal and extends in the longitudinal direction of the keyboard; the Y-axis is horizontal and normal to the X-axis; the Z-axis is normal to the X-Y plane.
The additional control device of the invention serves to complement and control the sound parameters belonging to tones or sounds which have been played with the main keys, and furthermore, to control supplement or substitute sound parameters, and additionally serves to improve and simplify the playing actions on the main keys, avoiding thereby any interruption of the flow of the playing.
The control handle, the movable bearings and mounting components of which are placed inside the playing board, has an upper part, which is mounted above the top surface of the playing board and serves to be contacted by and as a seat for the player's hand, preferably the palm of the hand. The mechanical supporting means are dimensioned in such a manner that the weight of the player's arm and additional forces will be supported without any risk for their carrying capacity and their technical functions. The level of the upper part related to the top surfaces of the main keys is designed in such a manner that any restriction for a two-handed playing on the main keys is avoided, this being achieved through appropriate shaping of the surface of the playing board. The upper part is preferably designed like a grip and its length preferably corresponds to the average width of a human hand and its longitudinal axis is oriented in X-direction and parallel or nearly parallel to the top surface of the playing board. Within the action range of the rested hand of the player a cantilever plate is mounted on the upper part and acts as a lever, being oriented in Y-direction and parallel or nearly parallel to the top surface of the playing board. The cantilever plate can be moved and depressed by the player's carpus. The swinging movability of the cantilever plate is oriented in Z-direction. The bearing and mounting components, which are placed inside the playing board, are arranged and constructed in such a manner that a continuous and smooth movability of the control handle is rendered possible, preferably in Z and X-directions. For convenient movability of the control handle all its materials will be comparatively light, so as to have little inertia. The movements are comparatively short so that the special keys on the playing board might always be touched or struck easily by the fingers of the hand which is rested on the upper part.
Regarding the movability in the Z-direction, the control handle is automatically held at a neutral Z-position by means of one or more springs. Under the load of the player's hand the control handle will be moved downwardly in Z-direction against a stop device, arriving there at the normal Z-position. The path from neutral Z-position to normal Z-position, which will be further called S.sub.z serves for the control of continuous or gradual sound parameters by means of suitable mechanical-electrical converters. It is preferred that the volume of tones or sounds which had been selected by the main keys will be controlled that way.
At neutral Z-position the volume will be zero and during the down-motion it increases continuously up to that normal level which has been pre-adjusted by means of usual control members. The stop devices for the normal Z-position have one or more mechanical-electrical converters which preferably convert the bearing pressure of the player's hand, laid on the control handle, into electrical control signals. At little pressure the normal level will be dialed, whereas the normal level will be boosted continuously up to the maximum level if the bearing pressure will be increased.
By means of these two modes of control the envelope curve of tones or sounds can be controlled at any time just as desired, thus rendering possible a shaping of the attack and execution of sounds which is as subtle as it is possible when playing a conventional wind instrument for example. The described pressure control renders possible a very quick and easy playing of accents of tones or sounds.
An additional circuitry deriving from the present invention is given through the fact that a noise-gate can be switched on at the neutral Z-position.
Regarding its movability in X-direction, the control handle takes its neutral X-position at .+-. X. This position might be found and held automatically by springs. Starting from this neutral X-position, the control handle can be driven in +X as well as in -X direction until it will be stopped by stop devices. The whole path from +X to -X, which will further be called X.sub.x serves to control continuous or gradual sound parameters by means of fitting mechanical-electrical converters. It is preferred that the variation of the pitch of the tones or sounds which had been selected by the main keys will be controlled that way. If the control handle is at neutral X-position the pitch will not be altered. Moving the control handle in -X direction, the pitch will become lower; in +X direction it will become higher.
It follows from the present invention that a circuitry for the editing of the control signals provides two modes of control which might be dialed and selected by special keys, for cooperation. The first mode of control is related to the variation of pitch which can be continuous or gradual or stepped, just as one chooses. If the variation is gradual the degrees of the tempered tone system will be applied. The second mode of control is working in such a manner that, moving along S.sub.x the pitch will be altered in different ranges, just as one chooses. One mode of action provides a variation of .+-. two semi-tones at maximum, whereas a second mode of action provides a maximal control range of .+-. one octave.
By means of such modes of control related to the X-movability it is possible to alter the pitch of tones or sounds at any time just as desired, thus rendering possible a subtle control of the pitch similar to that which one can play on a conventional stringed instrument, such as a violin, for instance. With the stepped control it is possible to play slurs of tones or of chords like on guitar, for instance.
If the two free ends of the upper part, which further will be called rests, are contacted and stressed by the weight of the player's hand, mechanical-electrical converters will convert different pressures on these rests into electrical sound signals which serve for continuous or gradual control of sound parameters. It is preferred that the timbre of tones or sounds which had been selected by the main keys will be controlled that way.
If both rests will be loaded equally an average timbre is dialed. If the -X rest is loaded more than the +X rest, then the timbre will preferably be altered to a dark/soft character and otherwise, if the +X rest is loaded, then the timbre will preferably be altered to a bright/hard character.
By means of this mode of control it is possible to control the timbre of tones or sounds in a subtle and easy way. Regarding the variability of timbre, the acoustical charm and animation of conventional wind instruments will be achieved, for example.
The above mentioned cantilever plate, mounted on the upper part of the control handle to be contacted and depressed by the player's carpus, serves for continuous or gradual control of further sound parameters by means of fitting mechanical-electrical converters. It is preferred that the volume and/or the timbre of noises, which had been generated by the main or special keys, will be controlled that way.
Unburdened, the cantilever plate will be maintained in its upper neutral position. At this neutral position, the volume of a wind noise, for example, might be zero. If the load onto the cantilever plate will be increased continuously, the volume of wind noise can be altered continuously up to a maximum level. Corresponding to the volume, or otherwise independently of it, the timbre of a noise can be controlled from a dark/soft to a bright/hard character.
By means of this mode of control it is possible to alter the volume and/or timbre of noises at any time just as desired, allowing an easy playing technique.
Noises occurring within the phase of the attack of tones such as striking or plucking noises, wind or bow noises of conventional plucked, stringed or wind instruments, but also noises having the character of consonants of the human speech can be controlled thus rendering possible an extended and improved technique for the shaping of sounds.
Using certain special keys, the above mentioned modes of control can be switched on or off, just as desired. It is obvious that these modes of control might also be used for the control of other, additional sound parameters.
The other special keys, which are also placed on the playing board, preferably serve the following modes of control: An array of special keys serves for the repetition or the first stroke of tones and/or sounds which had been dialed on the main keys, that means, these special keys serve for the first or for the repeated attack, dynamic, and damping of the mentioned tones and/or sounds. By means of a circuitry, following the present invention, tone degrees which had been dialed on the main keys can be connected to the special keys in some different consecutive sequences, individually or accumulated in chords. This mode of control serves for an improved and extended playing technique with regard to the performance of the rhythmical structure of single tone-, chord- or other sequences. It is well known that the damping of tones and sounds will be started at that moment when the main or special keys which had been struck are released or let off. It follows from the invention that different modes of damping can be used if other special keys will be touched or released.
A first damping mode is given through the fact that, after letting loose, the envelope curve of a played tone or sound decreases at such a rate down to zero that a certain resonance or reverberation is executed thus providing a normal legato style. This mode of control will be called normal damping.
A second damping mode is given through the fact that, after letting loose, the envelope curve of a played tone or sound decreases abruptly down to zero, thus providing a staccato style. This mode of control will be called short damping.
A third damping mode is given through the fact that, after letting loose, a played tone or sound will be continued unaffectedly until that moment when one or more following keys will be struck. The attack signals of these following tones or sounds switch the damping control signal of the prior tone or sound immediately or almost at once. The damping control signal starts a quick descent of the envelope curve of the prior tone or sound down to zero. This damping mode produces a perfect portamento style. This mode of control will be called short hold.
A fourth damping mode is given through the fact that, after letting loose, the played tones or sounds will be continued unaffectedly until a damping with a suitable envelope curve will be switched on through the use of a special key. This mode of control will be called constant-hold. This mode corresponds substantially to the use of the pedal of a piano.
These mentioned damping modes can easily be switched on or off at any time by special keys, which are preferably placed in the action range of the player's thumb. Additional special keys are placed on the playing board to control the attack, dynamic and damping of noises, that means, that by using these special keys, noises can be played in connection or without any connection to tones dialed on the main keys. Using this mode of control, percussive rhythmical noise elements can easily be added to tone sequences, for example.
The typical sound patterns of conventional acoustic musical instruments are physically mainly characterized through their frequency spectrum and the envelopes of their sound components. The rate of noise components can play an important and completing role in tone instruments. These typical sound patterns, for instance that of a violin, a flute or a piano, will be called a sound type.
Additional special keys are placed on the playing board, serving for a quick dial of various sound types. If such a special key will be played, the corresponding sound type will be switched on, whereas the former sound type will be switched off. It follows from the present invention that the addresses of different sound types, being switched on by common control members, which are placed on the playing board in a remote array, can be connected to said spacial keys in any allocation, just as the player needs it.
An advantage of such mode of control is that a very fast access to different sound types is rendered possible, sound types which had been selected before the beginning of the performance. For a simplification of the playing technique of double stops or two-tone-fingerings on the main keys, several additional special keys are placed on the playing board to control an automatic addition of a second tone degree, which will be related with a certain delay to the first tone degree being played on the main keys. Preferably the interval provides a second tone degree below the first one. The special keys only control the dial of the additional tone degree, the attack and dynamic of it will be controlled by the main keys. If such a special key will be released, the second tone degree will be damped immediately. Distinct intervals will be allocated to distinct special keys.
Using this mode of control a very fast performance of double tone sequences can be played very easily.
Playing on another special key, a circuitry can be switched on with which the interval structure of any chord will be analyzed and memorized for automatic addition to all tone degrees of the structure to any further single tone played on the main keys. Those circuitries are known and have been applied in synthesizers. If the mentioned special keys will be released, the memorized interval structure will be cleared.
Another special key is provided on the playing board with which a recording device can be switched on to record all sound events or control signals which are played on the instrument of the invention at the same time when the special key is touched. The releasing of this special key finishes the recording. By touching one or more other special keys, the recorded sequences can be started for playback, always beginning with the first sound event or control signal and repeating the playback one or more times, just as the player desires. Another special key serves for the interruption or termination of the playback. Renewed touching of the special key for recording clears all former recordings. The electronic devices for such recording and playback equipment are known as so-called sequencers for live edition. By means of this mode of control repeating sequences of tones or sounds can be played very easily without any interruption of the flow of the other playing actions.
It is self-evident that further special keys can be placed within the action range of the player's fingers for the control of additional sound parameters and/or playing functions. They will be described later with reference to a preferred embodiment.
A turning knob is mounted on the playing board within the action range of the player's thumb, the axis of rotation of which is oriented in Z-direction. Thus turning knob can be turned and slid around or along this axis in combination. By turning it, the master volume can be controlled continuously from zero to the maximum, by sliding it, the reverberation can be controlled continuously from zero to the maximum, for example.
The advantages of the present invention include the fact that the described additional control device renders possible an easy clearly arranged and sensible control of large numbers of most important sound parameters, and these sound parameters can be controlled simultaneously without influencing each other under a continuous or gradual mode of control. Furthermore playing functions are provided which simplify the playing technique and expand the playing capabilities. Thus, tones and sounds played on the main keys can be shaped and embellished to an extent which has to be required for a superb and subtle live performance. The full utilization of advanced electronic equipment for sound generation and sound shaping has become possible, and an instrument according to the invention offers the practicability of the characteristic control modes of nearly all conventional musical instruments. All described features give the instrument the capacity of an universal instrument.